In a 1991 Gallup poll, 6 percent of American adolescents admitted to suicide attempts. This follow-up study focused on the suicidal behavior before and after admission to a private psychiatric hospital of adolescent inpatients (N=25) who were part of an original sample of 150 inpatients. Compared to the non-respondent group, the respondent group included more females, had higher Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores, and more frequently reported suicidal ideation. Presence/absence of ideation and number of reported suicidal attempts per year decreased significantly between admission and follow-up 1-4 years later. There were no differences between depression scores, presence/absence of outpatient treatment, or numbers of admission before and after the index hospitalization. In repeated measures analysis of covariance, there was a significant effect for the covariate Beck Hopelessness Scale score, but not for admission ideation or for BDI score. No effects upon either numbers of admissions or of suicidal attempts were found in other repeated measures. No specific treatment effects were detected. Before these apparent changes in suicidal behavior (i.e., ideation and number of attempts per year) can be attributed to hospitalization, history and maturation effects must be ruled out. (Author/NB)